Melodeobt



Patented Oct. 23, 1855.

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G. G. HU MELODEO Z l 4 l I..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE G. HUNT, OF WOLCOTTVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

MELODEON.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE G. HUNT, of lVolcottville, county of Litchfie'ld, and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Melodeons or Harmoniums; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being made to the annexed drawing, making a part of this specification, which is a transverse vertical section through the reed-board of an instrument of my improved construction.

My improvement consists in such construct-ion of the reed board that two, four or even more sets of reeds may be added to the usual instrument thereby increasing the quantity of tone or the fullness of the chords, or both, without requiring an additional rank of keys, and with but slight if any addition to the heaviness of touch necessary in playing.

As commonly constructed the inelodeon has two sets of reeds the one being tuned either a second above or in unison with the other, and both being sounded by the opening of one valve. To this two other sets have been added by introducing another reed-board of precisely similar construction having its rank of keys situated above and in the rear of the keys of the first sets. These are tuned to some other interval, or in unison, as desired, and all may be sounded by the lower key-board by merely coupling the upper one to it, as is well known. The touch however of the keys used it is obvious must be now doubled in its heaviness and stiffness.

My construction is as follows; I divide a reed-board of ordinary construction along its central line and remove the two parts a short distance apart, say one inch, and as shown at (a) (a). Upon these I place another ordinary reed-board (b) but having 13,704, dated October 23, 1855.

no pallets or valves of its own and in which the reeds are placed at the same distances apart as are those in the first board, whereby each pair of reeds of the upper board will be in the same vertical plane with a pair of the lower board. The divisions between the reeds of the board (6) must now be continued down through the intermediate space (0) to the lower face of the board (a) as indicated at (d), and in each of these spaces a block (6) is put having a hole bored through to serve as a guide for the valve rod (f). One valve (g) of usual construction will now cover the slot in the lower reed-board, and this slot is just so much longer as the two parts (a a) have been removed asunder. Two other sets of reeds may be added by removing the parts (a, a) still farther and dividing the board (7)), as before described for (a), when another reedboard may be placed upon that. The valve (g) is representedas opened, and the arrows show the direction of the currents of air in an instrument operated by an exhausting bellows. The valves it Will be seen are not increased in number by any increase in the number of reeds but are only slightly lengthened, and in an exhausting instrument the heaviness of touch is but very slightly increased for each additional set of reeds. Any one set of these may be shut oif by stops as usual so that the quantity of tone may be reduced at will.

What I claim is The herein described construction whereby two, four, or more sets of reeds may be operated by one and the same valve in the manner set forth.

GEORGE G. HUNT.

Vitnesses S. H. MAYNARD, C. C. SMITH. 

